December 2nd, 2016 - Eddie And The Griswalds Are Somewhere Back In Time

Good evening!  Well, the holidays are nearly upon us, so I might as well jump on the x-mas bandwagon... Brews and Tunes style that is, with a "festive" and celebratory pairing of the Griswald's Big Holiday Ale from Red Rock Brewery and Iron Maiden's "Somewhere Back In Time"!!

"Clark, that's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year."

Album Info:

• Artist: Iron Maiden
• Title: "Somewhere Back In Time"
• Recorded:  1982 through 1988
• Release date: May 12th, 2008 (6th best of album by Iron Maiden)
• Record company: EMI / Universal Music Group
• Production: Martin Birch
• Album cover art: Derek Riggs
• Personnel: Clive Burr (drums on tracks 6, 7, 8, and 14), Bruce Dickinson (lead vocals), Steve Harris (bass guitar), Nicko McBrain (drums except tracks 6, 7, 8, and 14), Dave Murray (guitars), and Adrian Smith (guitars)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Complex, layered, bombastic, yet full of rockin' hooks
• Major themes: Good and evil, war, death, power, perseverance, pride, darkness, the devil, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Churchill's Speech"
2. "Aces High" (live)
3. "2 Minutes To Midnight"
4. "The Trooper"
5. "Wasted Years"
6. "Children Of The Damned"
7. "The Number Of The Beast"
8. "Run To The Hills"
9. "Phantom Of The Opera" (live)
10. "The Evil That Men Do"
11. "Wrathchild" (live)
12. "Can I Play With Madness"
13. "Powerslave"
14. "Hallowed By Thy Name"
15. "Iron Maiden" (live)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://redrockbrewing.com/
• Brew: Griswald's Big Holiday Ale
• Style: Herbed / Spiced Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.5%
• Ingredients: Cinnamon, coriander, ginger, orange peel, and cloves
• Pour: It pours a very hazy orange-golden amber hue with a billowy half-finger head that leaves good lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very spicy, malty, and robust.  There are big aromas of cinnamon, gingerbread, caramel, cloves, soft banana, and orange along with subtle hops.
• Taste: Flavored with orange peel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger this brew has a very "festive" spiced flavor, almost like a pumpkin beer, but without the sweetness.   There are notes of banana, gourd, yam, caramel, and spices.  
• Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low in bitterness, the beer is a unique take on a traditional ale.  The mouthfeel is somewhat thick, but still crisp with a dry finish.

Overall pairing: As the label states, the Griswald's Big Holiday Ale "makes a fine companion to your favorite holiday celebration", or a fine companion to the heavy metal onslaught that is Iron Maiden!!  Those big, bold, and spicy notes of the ale are perfect for the bombastic, intense, and wonderfully powerful playing on the album!  And those boozier notes in the finish are great for the heavy kick of Maiden!
"We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse." 

Cheers and hails!!